


Thrice Burned

by madameseahorse



Series: The Burden of the Past [3]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Adoption, Body Horror, Cannibalism, Discussion of Abortion, F/M, Inspired by Norse Mythology, Intersex, M/M, Manga Spoilers, Mpreg, Mpreg Birth, Nesting, Rebirth, References to Norse Religion & Lore, SNK Manga spoilers, Sickfic, Some angst, Unplanned Pregnancy, advanced pregnancy, implied birth scene, literally being reborn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:01:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23352121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madameseahorse/pseuds/madameseahorse
Summary: Porco has only had his powers for about four months. He cannot catch a break.Takes place after chapter 84 in the manga and as the Cart, Armored, and Beast Titans arrive back at the Marleyan Continent. Contains spoilers for the death in chapter 93.
Relationships: Porco Galliard/Pieck, Reiner Braun/Marcel Galliard | Berwick
Series: The Burden of the Past [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/318920
Comments: 11
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is inspired by a story in Norse mythology. In one version I found, Loki eats his wife's heart out of grief. There is another version where he eats an evil witch's heart out of anger. In the first version, I remember him giving birth to like a clone of his wife (I haven't found that version in a while, so I have no proof lol). In the latter, he either gave birth to monsters (perhaps Fenris, Hela, and Jormandr). As with all religions, there are different interpretations and translations. I like that there are different versions because there are different views on the Founder Ymir Fritz in the Attack on Titan universe. Rebels like Grisha say that she helped humanity. The Marleyans say that she is a demon.
> 
> I hope y'all enjoy. The idea sounds squicky, but so is Attack on Titan. I'm a bit nervous to post it, but it's been rattling around in my head for years.

It made no sense why Porco didn’t feel well. Pieck nursed him back to health after receiving his titan powers. Being a holder of one of the Nine usually meant good immune systems at first (it did cause other health issues as time went on, like Pieck’s muscle weakness or Zeke’s need for glasses). He had only been a titan for a little over four months. His fever was long gone, but he sometimes felt sick to his stomach.

Speaking of his stomach, it was growing at an alarming rate. That really concerned him. He almost looked like a pregnant woman. For a brief moment, he thought he might be pregnant. Intersexed individuals were not unheard of, but were very rare. Even more rare was the fact that Porco had not been intersex before he became a titan. He did not know if his new orifice was cosmetic or actually functioned as a vagina with connected organs and whatnot.

He considered asking someone in the Marley science division about possible side effects about inheriting titan powers. Having seven of the nine titans under their control meant that they knew a lot about titans. Discoveries were still being made, like the thing with Zeke’s spinal fluid and his screaming turning people into titans who would obey him. However, even Marleyan scientists did not understand why Zeke could do that.

Porco knew there had to be an explanation for the changes to his body, even if no one else knew. He tried to read every text he could get his hands on about titans. From scientific reports to the diaries of previous Warriors. He wanted to ask the War Chief or another male warrior. Preferably anyone other than Reiner, but he would if necessary.

\----- 

“Galliard? Sir?” Colt Grice shook him. He was gentle, but Porco startled nonetheless.

“Sorry to wake you, sir.” Currently, they were in a classroom used mostly by warrior candidates. Porco remembered going in to research ailments of titan shifters. He did not remember falling asleep, though. He slept poorly these days and was exhausted.

“Yes, Grice?”

“A ship just came into the harbor. It’s the ship that left for Paradis Island. The one the Warriors left on,” Colt added. He was right to clarify, since several ships left for the penal colony every week.

“They’re back? That’s good. Right?”

“The lights on the dock are turned off.”

Hmm. It was the middle of the night. Usually, the warriors would come back during the day and met with the same fanfare they were sent off with. Marley would have known that they were coming, thanks to inventions like radios and telegraphs.

“Let’s check it out.” He stood up, inwardly cursing at the stiffness in his muscles and the lead-like weight in his gut. Colt handed him his coat. Porco buttoned it up. It was starting to feel a little tight around his stomach, but still mostly obscured the area.

\-----  
They arrived at the docks just as the passengers were disembarking. The welcome party was small. Theo Magath was there, along with three of the soldiers in Pieck’s Panzer unit. Zeke came out first. Pieck was next. She moved slowly and deliberately, surprisingly on her feet instead of all fours. Reiner was last. Unlike the two older Warriors, he wasn’t putting on a brave face and neither did he appear afraid. He seemed lost. His eyes were vacant and he walked as though intoxicated. It looked like he might walk off of the doc-

Thud! Splash!

Reiner stumbled and knocked Pieck over. He tripped over her and fell in the water. Magath immediately jumped into the water after him. Two of the Panzer unit went to help Pieck, but she waved them away. The other member grabbed Reiner from Magath and pulled him unceremoniously back onto the dock.

“Make sure he’s alive,” he ordered as now all three of Pieck’s unit tried to help Magath out. Two obeyed. The third didn’t hear him and still tried to help.

“I can swim, but I will drown you if you don’t make sure that bastard is alright. If he dies before we can take back his Armor, I’ll kill him and you!”

The soldier, who wasn’t the best swimmer, decided it was best to help Reiner. The leader of the warrior unit pulled himself out of the water and started to argue with Zeke, who made the mistake of offering him his hand.

In all the pandemonium, Porco made a decision. Weaving in between the soldiers and warriors, he helped Pieck to her feet.

“Wait. We need to debrief everyone on the situation,” she protested as he led her away from the dock.

“She’s right, Mr. Galliard.”

“That’s enough, Grice. The situation is obviously less than ideal.”

“To put it lightly. Hey.” She paused.

“Are you alright?”

“Better than you,” he quipped, “at least I can walk.” He knew that she was sensitive to her physical limitations. He hoped that would shut her up.  
However, she knew that he knew that she was sensitive.

“You’re deflecting. Why are you holding your side?”

“His stomach,” Colt began, but Porco growled at him and he reluctantly fell silent.

“What’s wrong with his stomach?” Pieck demanded.

“I think he might have a tumor. I I don’t mean to have noticed, but he seems so uncomfortable.”

“Why would you say that?” They were back at the entryway to the training center. He allowed Colt to help him sit down on a bench. Pieck sat down next to him and looked at him questioningly.

“Can I?” she asked.

He nodded. She unbuttoned his coat. Her eyes widened.

“Have you seen a doctor?”

“And tell them what? I’ve gained like thirty or forty pounds in three months? After I got that fever, they’d think I’m a total weakling.”

She hummed, understanding his fear that he might have the Jaw taken from him.

“Have you been eating more?”

“He’s actually been eating less.”

“Is that true, Pocco? What is it?” she asked as he put a hand to his stomach.

“It’s just this weird pain. Comes and it goes. Hey!” Pieck pealed his hand away. The pain-the weird jabbing feeling-came again before she could touch him. To her horror, she saw his skin move. Something was inside of her friend, moving and growing.

“We got to get you to a doctor.”

“I agree. He should not be growing this fast,” Colt agreed. Pieck resisted the urge to slap him.

“His stomach should not be growing at all like this. Why does the speed matter?”

“Babies don’t grow this fast. He only got his powers four month ago. He looks close to seven months pregnant.”

“What in the hell are you talking about, Colt? His titan powers have no correlation to having a baby. And how is he going to get pregnant in the first place?”

Colt was very nervous all of a sudden.

“I don’t know.”

“Please. You’re as good at lying as Pieck is at walking.”

“Rude, but true. Talk.”

“But I’ll be sent to Heaven. And I didn’t mean to hear or read about it.”

Pieck weighed her options. If Colt knew something because of treason, he would be sent to Paradis. She would be stripped of her Cart if someone found out that she knew that he was hiding something. However, he might know something that could save Pocco.

“We all know that your uncle was sent away. Maybe you heard some of his crazy, treacherous ideas.”

“What?”

“You may have heard him talk about his awful and anti-Marleyan bull.”

“I doubt it.” Colt was only thirteen years old and his uncle was sent off eighteen years ago.

“Yeah, Pieck. Can’t you do the math?”

She gave Porco a brief glare.

“I am excellent at math, Pocco.” She turned to Colt.

“Like right now, I’m not sure if Zeke needs a new understudy. Since his current one is in danger of getting eaten if he doesn’t talk.” Pieck opened her mouth and put her thumb in as a warning.

“R-Right.” He gave a furtive look around to make sure no one else was around before leaning in.

“There was this book at my house. The dust jacket had been switched to something patriotic and I didn’t realize what it was until I read some of it. I thought it was a history of the Nine Titans and their holders throughout the centuries.”

That was the problem. Marley had not controlled any of the titans until the First King left for Paradis Island after the war. The book was most likely written by someone who was anti-Marleyan.

“What did it say?” Pieck asked.

“It talked about an Eldian named Loki. Either his wife or a witch was killed for her wicked ways. Her body was burned, yet somehow her heart remained. He was overcome with grief or anger.”

“Does that matter?” Porco interrupted.

“It does.”

“So was it grief or anger?”

“I don’t know. My…someone wrote a bunch of handwritten text in the margins in addition to the author’s notations.”

“Loki was overcome with an emotion of some sort. What happened next?”

“He ate the heart, which allowed her to become reborn.”

“Like spiritually? How is a dead woman going to be reborn?”

“No, like literally. One of the additions said that it was because of Ymir’s goodness that allowed his wife to come back to him. The author said that he may have given birth to monsters.”

“Was he a titan, though?”

“What if he became one after eating the heart?”

“Not unless the heart was full of spinal fluid,” she scoffed.

“I know a heart wouldn’t have spinal fluid in it, but it would have blood. Maybe that was enough?” Colt offered weakly.

“I doubt it.” She turned back to her friend, who was eyeing his swollen stomach fearfully.

This time, she did smack the warrior candidate when he touched Porco’s belly.

“Don’t presume to touch him! That’s your evidence? A book and some notes from your traitor of an uncle?” she hissed.

“My mom’s stomach felt like that when she was pregnant with Falco. I’m sorry for touching you, Mr. Galliard. That was presumptuous of me,” he apologized.

“I think he’s right.”

“He’s not.”

“Listen to me, Pieck! Titan science only covers so many topics. We don’t know everything about our powers.”

Meaning that Marley did not tell them everything they discovered about titans. Pieck knew that. Even if Marley knew everything, they wouldn’t tell them unless the information pertained to the titans under their control (and couldn’t be used against them should they rebel).

“No one knows why you and War Chief Zeke can talk in your titan forms. My predecessor could as well, but I can’t. My body inherited non-titan related traits from her, though. Not everything has a scientific explanation.”

“Like what? What traits?”

“Certain body parts. Marcel got them after he inherited the Jaw’s power.”

“I saw you after you got your powers. I didn’t see any extra limps.” Then again, she only undressed him down to his boxers and boots.

“Do you have any extra toes?”

He shook his head.

Crap. That meant that something must have changed in another area. The only other area that had been covered at the time…

“Marcel was intersexed.” He’d nearly killed Reiner for researching sexual techniques after they’d inherited their powers. He knew that Marcel and Reiner liked each other, but didn’t understand the sudden interested in female sexuality on Reiner’s part.

“I had no idea. Is that why he always had pads with him? I thought he was just a gentleman.” She sounded calmer now.

“I forgot that he did that,” he sobbed.

Pieck nodded and wrapped her arm around her friend’s shoulders.

“I always thought that he was silly for doing that,” she admitted. She rarely got periods in the past seven years. Annie claimed that she had never gotten a period. Magath assured them that it was normal for female titan shifters. It didn’t make sense to her that Marcel carried pads. However, if he did and was intersexed, that meant that he had gotten periods.

“Have you started carrying pads?”

He shook his head, still crying.

If he had become intersexed as Marcel had been and his older brother needed pads, it stood to reason that Porco would menstruate as well.

“And you think that your…part goes all the way up?” Not her best question, but she was afraid. Worried that her male friend might magically be pregnant.

“Marcel’s did. That girl’s did. She was female, after all,” he hiccupped. Colt snuck off towards the boardwalk to check on the returning Warriors.

“It’ll be alright. Calm down,” she soothed.

He sat up and looked at her incredulously.

“How is it going to be alright? I’m pregnant.”

“Women get pregnant all of the time.”

“I can’t possibly care for a baby. I can’t keep it, or get rid of it!”

“Then give it away. You wouldn’t be the first person to give an Eldian child up for adoption.” It was sad, but true.

“You expect me to give birth?”

“You’ve got the right equipment. In addition, you have the power of the titans. Your body will heal. No one will need to know.”

Porco couldn’t believe what she was saying. First she denied Colt’s suggestions, which he understood. He’d deny them too, if he didn’t have an infant kicking at his insides. Now, she’d completely changed her mind. Why would they not tell anyone? Wouldn’t they need a doctor or something?

The yelling they’d heard at the docks could be heard from the roadway, catching his attention. Pieck did not turn. Instead, she began buttoning up his coat. He almost shooed her away, but then it hit him:

She didn’t want the higher ups-specifically, the Marleyans-to know about his bizarre condition. Intersexuality was rare, but it did occur. It occurred so often that people born intersexed were refered to as intersex instead of the outdated term (from a conquered nation’s religion, the child of the gods Hermes and Aphrodite. It was now considered ignorant to call someone that). Porco was pretty sure a Marleyan leader had been intersex or had a daughter who was. They may have sent a fair amount of Eldians to Paradis, but all Marleyan leaders sent them there. If they didn’t, they would probably be dropped off on the penal colony as titan food, or something equally awful. They were an activist for previous genders that were typically ignored or mistreated, though.

Anyways, why hide the pregnancy? He was too enough along to have an abortion. Pieck wasn’t wrong about giving the baby away once it was born. Annie had been abandoned by her non-Eldian mother shortly after she was born. She was lucky that she had been dropped off at a Libero-type camp and not discarded.

If this kid was really some sort of reborn version of the previous Jaw Titan, the best thing was to drop them off in Libero anonymously. Although Porco wouldn’t be the first Eldian to have a child out of wedlock, he still didn’t want people to know how he had been changed.

That being said, Pieck should still tell General Magath. He was in charge of the Warrior Unit. He may be Marleyan, but he trusted them. Some accused him of being fond of his Warriors, and they weren’t wrong.

“How bad was the mission?”

“The ride back was boring with no girls to talk to.”

So Annie was still missing in action.

“Just Zeke, Bertoldt, and the Armored dumb ass then.”

“You got two out of three.”

Porco glanced up. Zeke and Magath were half carrying Reiner. He was drenched from his fall into the harbor. He wasn’t steaming, so he probably wasn’t injured.

There was no sign of Bertoldt.

“Oh no,” he gasped.

“Oh yes,” she muttered. She tried to stand up, but he stopped her.

“Just give me a second,” he said softly.

Pieck nodded almost imperceptibly and waited for him to get to his feet.

“I don’t think I can walk.”  
“I know. I’m surprised that you came off the ship of your own power.”

“Oh, so am I,” she replied dryly. They’d come back two Warriors short. Reiner’s armor might be lost after all his mistakes. Zeke seemed safe, but may be liable for Reiner’s mistakes.

She’d be damned if she’d allow herself to be seen as weak. She decided hours ago that she would walk down the gangplank standing upright in order to not look expendable.

We are expendable, she thought miserably as Porco held out his hand to help her up. She tried not to lean on him too much, but he whispered-practically breathed-something into her ear.

His encouragement helped her into the building more than her wobbly legs ever could.

And her legs didn’t fail her again that night.


	2. Chapter 2

Pieck told him to get some sleep before she went to the debriefing with Magath and some other high ranking Marleyan officers. He wanted to argue. It felt wrong to take a nap when the Marleyan officers being dragged out of bed in the middle of the night to interrogate the other Warriors. Porco wasn't sure if he could fall asleep knowing that the strange, almost painful twinges in his stomach were from a fetus moving around in a womb that shouldn't be there. It wasn't even his child, although he had never really wanted kids.

Well, he used to think about having kids at one point. After inheriting the Jaw, Marcel wanted kids with Reiner. Porco scolded him. Maybe it was weird because he couldn't imagine his older brother carrying a baby. Sure, he had had the correct equipment after becoming a titan.

Marcel was only twelve when he inherited his powers. Had he not been eaten and he lived out his term as a Warrior, he would only live to be twenty-five.

Plus whatever kids Marcel would have bore would have been sired by Reiner. Surely that fact was the best birth control possible ever. Even if every Eldian magically became sterile at some point, Porco would stand by his point.

That made Marcel laugh. He shouldn't have, since he and Reiner got their titans on the same day and would leave their imaginary children as orphans when their time came. Porco would most likely inherit their bastards.

"It'd be nice to leave a piece of me behind," Marcel said.

"You'll leave some Warrior with the Jaw someday. That's a big enough piece." Yeah, a whole Marcel-shaped piece right out of Porco's heart, but he didn't want to think about it.

His brother shrugged. He looked like he wanted to change the subject for some reason.

"I wonder what kind of mother Pieck would be," Marcel remarked. Porco did not say anything at the time. He knew his brother well enough that his casual tone hid some sort of secret meaning. He definitely never asked Pieck what she thought about having children.

He thought about it sometimes, though. Even more so as he fought to stay awake in the library. It was away from the room in the basement where Reiner was being questioned (while Porco couldn't stand him, he almost felt bad that he was being interrogated underground). Zeke was on the flood below him while Pieck was down the hall from the library. It was good that she was in a room with windows on the second floor. Marley must not be too worried about her. She always followed orders, but was smart enough to think on her own. She knew how to play the game.

Would she play games with kids?

_Stop it, Galliard_ , he scolded himself. _Don't think about Pieck as a mother_. He tried to focus on the book in front of him.

But the words on the page began to blur as his mind drifted. Thought about Pieck laying beside an infant with blond hair, offering her breast and smiling softly as they latched on. He could hear himself began to protest when she fell asleep beside the baby, but she woke up as a drop of drool dripped onto the suckling infant's head. How she cleaned the baby's fair head before hastily swiping at her chin made him snort. She turned at the sound, startled, but relaxed as she realized it was him. Porco, her friend. Her...

What was he in this dream? He couldn't be the father. Pieck had no interest in him like that. They were friends. Comrades. Warriors with lifespans limited by their lifestyles and the Curse of Ymir. Pieck couldn't always stand without help. She almost couldn't walk most of the time. She had weak ankles and couldn't always catch her breath as a kid, but she still ran. She built endurance after years of training and her asthma went away when she became the Cart Titan. No one knew why. It didn't matter. She couldn't always grip things tightly because she hands felt numb. When people handed her pencils or other small objects, they sometimes fell because she did not feel them in her hand. If she broke an ankle, yes, it healed. The only running she did these days was on all fours in her titan form.

But Pieck was still Pieck. Everyone said she was cute, but Porco thought she was beautiful. She joked about not liking her nose because it was kind of big, but his button nose was too small in his opinion. A kid with both their genetics would have a cute, normal-sized nose. Porco liked the idea of a blond child, but with Pieck's gray eyes. The gender wasn't important. That was subjective (and could change quite literally, to his chagrin).

She would be good with a baby. When they started crawling, he imagined her following them around on her hands and knees. Pretending to be a horse and letting them ride on her back. He felt like he'd be stuck with diaper duty mostly because changing tables were at waist height and he didn't want her having to stand all the time. Babies did use a lot of diapers, after all.

She would kiss any cuts and scrapes. The blond child would roll their eyes and insist on getting a bandage. She indulged them, probably feeling a little guilty that she didn't think of using a bandage for such a small injury. Both she and Porco could regenerate limbs, although he had yet to experience the pleasure of losing his arms or legs. He saw the potential of two Warriors sometimes forgetting that normal children, even their own, only had time to heal their wounds and not from a power cannibalized from their predecessors.

Great. Now Porco was seeing himself as this imaginary child's father. He felt guilty not because he doubted he'd be a good father, but rather that he assumed Pieck would want to have kids with him. He had a crush on her, but there was no proof that she returned his feelings.

If he ever had any children, though? He would want them with Pieck.

He heard the door down the hall open, rousing him from his dreams. The pitch black night had softened to an almost black shade of blue. It was still dark. The stars were fading, making way for the eventual dawn. That dawn meant nothing to him. Pieck's soft voice thanking whatever Marleyan officers for meeting with her at such a time (that they had to thank their oppressors for questioning them!) brightened his day far more than any sun could ever brighten anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pieck would also give any poccopiku child a taste of alcohol long before they were of drinking age. I mean, she gave Colt beer on the train, after all. She wouldn't be a regular mom, but a cool ;) mom.
> 
> No, she'd let them have a taste since  
> 1) Alcohol is nasty. I remember trying a sip of wine as a kid at Easter. I made a face and gagged, which made my grandma laugh.  
> 2) Pieck is a prankster in my mind. She'd be delighted at her kid trying wine and spitting it out.  
> 3) In the manga currently, Pieck's got only a year left of her tenure. If she had had a kid at some point, she wouldn't be able to take them out for their 21st birthday (or whenever Marleyan law that define the legal age to drink, although I suspect it is younger than 21).
> 
> I do not approve of underage drinking, just to be clear. I remember that Easter fondly, especially since my grandma has been dead eight years now. Her laugh is something I never want to forget.
> 
> Anyways, hope you liked it! :3


	3. Chapter 3

Pieck was not surprised to see Pocco in the library. Of course he would wait for her.

"You should go home," Zeke suggested. He turned to Porco, and added, "You too. I'm not even sure why you're here."

"I lost track of time. Sorry."

Zeke gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"Are you alright to make it home?"

"I'll walk her home."

Pieck opened her mouth to protest. It was all she could do to keep upright, but that was normal after long missions. It was not normal to be a pregnant male teenager.

"Thank you, Galliard. I'm going to check on Reiner. I suspect that Colt hasn't gone home yet."

"We'll take him back."

"Good." The War Chief sounded grim. With a forced smile, he went downstairs to catch up to the officers.

"Are you certain you're up to walking?" He had stood up quicker and with less effort than earlier, but Pieck worried.

"More so than others present," he teased. She couldn't argue since her legs chose just then to wobble. He placed a firm hand on the small of her back. They walked down the stairs leaning on each other.

"How'd the meeting go?"

"Let's just get Colt and go home," she answered.

Porco nodded. Despite her relaxed tone, her answer was not simple. The military was allowing her to return to her house, meaning she was not in trouble. He was allowed to walk with her, which meant that she had not said anything too confidential. Especially since Colt did not have their level of military clearance. He suspected that Zeke was sending Colt home with them to protect him from any backlash. He already came from a bad family. He did not need to be hanging around when other Eldians' lives were on the line.

Going home was better than going to Paradis.

They found Colt in the sitting room behind the base of the first floor stairs. He was rubbing his eyes.

"Hey, Mr. Galliard. Miss Pieck. Sorry. I fell asleep." Luckily, he was a very light sleeper. He woke up in time to get up before he got caught by Zeke and the officers.

"I suspected as much. It's okay," Porco assured him, "I dozed off as well."

Colt relaxed and walked close to the two Warriors.

"What are your plans for today?" Pieck asked conversationally.

"I dunno." He thought that his research would uncover the cause of his problem. Then he could find a solution.

"Did your book say anything else?"

Colt shook his head.

"It wasn't my book. I don't even know if it's still around."

Great. Colt was either lying or he really no longer knew where the book was. Either way, Porco doubted that he could count on answers from him. It was too dangerous to involve him.

"You'll just have to deliver it," Pieck said.

"I would rather die." He knew that this fetus or baby would need to come out. A male-bodied person wasn't great for giving birth. He'd heard women complain about tearing and bleeding. Even with the right equipment, he wasn't sure if he could give birth.

She was quiet, appearing to mull it over. If he knew her (and he did), all the thoughts that occurred to him were occurring to Pieck. Only she was detached. She was not the one carrying an unwanted baby inside of her. She could be objective and come up with the best situation for the most of the people involved. Technically, there were only three people involved so far, plus the baby.

"You could have it cut out," she suggested, although her answer lacked conviction.

"By who? You? Grice?"

"You're right." Her hands wouldn't be steady enough, especially if she was cutting into her friend. Colt was too young and unwilling. Pieck could tell by the way he had stepped back and was shaking his head (the polite "no thank you" was also informative).

She remembered the soldier on the island. He had been very skilled with his blades. Surely, anyone employed by such a man, devil as he was, would also be good with a blade.

Reiner had spent three years being trained by the Island's military. From what Pieck observed, he was apt at using those swords while flying through the air using those ridiculous machines.

But Reiner may not be long for this world, depending on how his intergation went. She still suggested it.

Porco snorted. He laughed out loud, earning a glare from an early morning fisherman

"You said that Marcel was...like you. Knowing Reiner, he probably researched-"

He held up his hand and pointed to her.

"You are absolutely right, my dear." His imitation of the War Chief was spot on. He even pushed up imaginary glasses on the bridge of his nose. His continued laughing earned him a dirty look from a street sweeper, as well a muttered slur about the Eldian race.

"Then why are you laughing?" she huffed, cheeks reddening from annoyance and not at being called 'dear.'

He wiped at his eyes, still laughing.

"I'd rather get eaten alive than let that idiot near me."

"Well, in about thirteen years, I'm sure you will be, but that doesn't solve anything right now."

"Ahh, Pieck. You're too much." He gestured to Colt, who had fallen behind.

"Eldians shouldn't be out at this hour," Porco scolded with a smirk.

"Sorry, I uh," he apologized and hurried over to the two Warriors. Pocco clapped his shoulder.

"Don't let your embarrassment get you in trouble," he whispered, "why, look at Pieck. She's all red with anger at me, but she is keeping her composure. She hasn't wandered off."

Colt wanted to say that she couldn't wander off because Porco was helping keep her upright.

Pieck might have pointed out that, as an honorary Marleyan, she had the legal right to be out in the city after dark without a permit. She would have said that she was flustered because a boy she kissed once called her dear, but did not. Pieck was smart enough to not admit to feelings that she was not ready to admit.

Or more likely? She allowed herself to hide her feelings. Even a genius like Pieck needed to be dumb sometimes.

They walked in silence the rest of the way back to Liberio.

"Seriously, Pieck. I appreciate your candor. I haven't laughed like that in a while," he said after they made sure Colt was safe inside the Grice home.

She nodded.

"But we will have to make a plan. The sooner, the better."

"I know. Are we going to tell anyone else? I know you mentioned Reiner, which is probably a decent idea."

Pieck placed a hand to her chest and gasped softly. Pocco admitting that Reiner might be good for something?

"Not because he's supposedly good with a knife," he added.

"A blade," she corrected.

"Whatever." He had seen his predecessor's memories and suspected that Pieck was referring to the 3dmg (or ODM gear, maybe? The two terms seemed to be interchangeable). Otherwise, he might have quipped that the only time Reiner used a knife was stabbing himself to activate his titan powers.

Hmm, that wasn't really a quip. Porco took every opportunity to make fun at Reiner's expense. He would need to come up with something else later, especially if they did need his help. Awful as he was, Reiner was an excellent study. Those books about sex had not been written from a perverse point of view. It focused mostly on the biological aspect of reproduction.

"Reiner may not be able to help much."

"Then should we tell Magath? If I'm going to have a major surgery, would I need to tell him in case I'm called into the field? Remember before you got the Cart and you needed an appendectomy? Magath knew."

"Only because my appendix ruptured and I could have become septic. They spent a lot of money and time training me. Had the other Cart candidate not been caught cheating on an exam and sent to Paradis, they would have just chosen them. I don't think I've heard about any pregnant Warriors."

"Well, we have a reputation to uphold." Marleyans and other races accused Eldians of forcing their children on them. Porco believed that that was true in the past. Some Eldians didn't want to have Eldian children, according to the War Chief (it sounded like a conspiracy theory, but Zeke had been drinking at the time). Marleyans alive in this day and age said that the Subjects of Ymir were no better than animals. It didn't help that Warriors were subject to heats and ruts, although that wasn't widely known. Magath may be a bastard, but he deemed the ideas about Warriors having different sexual practices as rumors. He didn't want anyone pestering and possibly seeking out his Warriors in a creepy fashion.

Not that Marleyans usually sought out Eldians romantically. It was completely illegal. She wasn't sure if it was illegal for her as an honorary Marleyan. Men did not want a woman who could turn into a titan even if it was legal.

"Uhh, Magath is going to think I'm a slut!" he groaned, slumping against Pieck's front door.

"Well, you are having a child outside of wedlock at sixteen."

"I've never even kissed a girl."

Pieck grabbed him by the elbow to keep him from sliding to the ground.

"You can kiss me."

"Nah, I wouldn't want you to have to do that."

"I wouldn't mind." She'd done worse things with her mouth than kissing.

He leaned forward. Pieck stood on her tiptoes to meet him. Had he gotten taller while she was away? His lips were dry, but his hands were sweaty despite the chill of the late summer's early morning air. He was tentative, but did not back away. She took the initiative and parted her lips slightly. He made a small noise that was not quite a moan, but more of a contented sigh.

"Was that okay?" he asked after they stopped, "I've never kissed anyone before."

"It was very nice."

"Should I have used my tongue?"

"You'll have to buy me dinner first. You still owe me from when I nursed you back to health from that fever."

He brushed a stray hair back behind her ear.

"How about tomorrow night?"

"It's almost four in the morning. Do you want to have a meal in about fourteen hours?"

"No, I really mean tomorrow evening. That way, we can get some sleep today."

Pieck nodded. They agreed to meet back at the Finger house the next day around 1600 hours and get the ingredients to make dinner. They said their good byes and bid each other sweet dreams. She was exhausted. They both were. Some sleep in her own bed sounded wonderful. However, part of her wished that they were having dinner sooner.


	4. Chapter 4

"Ah. Young master Pocco. It's good to see you."

Porco nodded, letting the nickname slide. He had waited for Pieck at the market, but she never showed up. He went ahead and bought the ingredients for fried herring and onions. He even sprung for a nice loaf of bread inspired by one of the countries allied with the Marleyan military. They were known for their food and wine long before the occupation and subsequent recent (if not somewhat forced) alliance. Pieck was partial to their coq au vin, but that meant wine and he wasn't sure if he should have any alcohol in his condition.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Finger. Is Pieck home? We were going to make dinner together, but I didn't see her at the market."

"She's asleep. But do come in." He gestured for Porco to come inside.

"The kitchen is a bit of a mess, but you are welcome to use whatever utensils or ingredients you need."

"That's very kind of you, Mr. Finger." And it really was kind. Even though Warriors received both a greater quantity and a better quality of food rations, their families were wary of sharing their food. Maybe they feared that the rations would go back to basic after their Warrior's tenure ran out. She had been born when her father was forty-three. His poor health made him seem more like her grandfather.

"Nonsense. It looks like you brought most of the ingredients, judging by the size of those bags. It's the least I can do to have you cook in my messy kitchen."

The kitchen was far from messy. There were a coffee cup and some utensils in the sink, but they were basically rinsed. There was a tray of untouched breakfast foods (scrambled eggs and apple sauce) on the buffet in between the kitchen and the parlor. In addition, there was a tray of slightly fresher food (a peanut butter and jam sandwich on toasted bread, diagonally sliced with the crusts cut off) on the coffee table in front of the couch where Pieck was sleeping. She still wore the same, sweat stained military uniform she wore yesterday.

"She must have come home early in the morning yesterday. I would have taken off her boots at least, but I didn't want to hurt her," her father whispered apologetically.

"I understand," Porco assured him.

"Her feet bother her at times." He held up his hands, which were swollen from arthritis.

"I doubt that I could untie those laces, anyways," he said with small smile. It was the same smile Mrs. Galliard wore when Marcel came home with his new armband with the red background signifying him as no longer a warrior candidate, but as a full-fledged Warrior. She smiled the same smile when Porco complained about Reiner somehow became the Armored Titan over himself. She hugged him and said that he could stay at home with her and Dad. It was a grim, determined smile that parents of Warriors put on to show their pride at having such special children who would not outlive them.

Mom would not have allowed any Eldian, even a Warrior friend or their family, into to her kitchen, though. She enjoyed sharing delicious, more expensive rations only available to honorary Marleyans like her family. She didn't show off as much when the supposedly brief mission to retake the founder entered its third year. She stopped completely when they received the telegram four months ago informing them of Marcel's death and Porco's opportunity to regain the Jaw.

That's when Mom stopped doing everything.

"Should we wake her?" he asked softly as he put his bags on the counter and started taking out ingredients. 

"I hate to wake her. She needs the rest." He patted Porco's shoulder.

"If she isn't awake by the time dinner is ready, I will wake her," he promised before leaving the kitchen to sit in the armchair across from his daughter.

Porco put on an apron from the hook on the wall. He was familiar with the Finger's home. He was more comfortable when Pieck was with him, but Mr. Finger was such a nice man that Porco didn't really mind. He was more able bodied than either of them and it felt good to help out.

He went about prepping the food. He sliced the onions first, glad that the tears were from the onions instead of from random pregnancy hormones. When they were cut, he placed them in a bowl and set them aside before preparing the fish.

Porco quickly sliced the heads off, almost slicing himself in the process. The staring, unseeing eyes of the herring bothered him more than it should have and he wished that the fillets had not been so expensive.

Don't feel bad for them. They are meant to be eaten. They are herring. Porco told himself.

_"Herring's not my favorite."_

Startled, he turned around and took a step into the living room. Who had said that? It had been a woman's voice, but the only woman here was Pieck, who was still asleep on the couch. Mr. Finger may be soft spoken, but he was no woman.

"You alright, son?" Mr. Finger asked.

"I'm fine. Just checking," Porco replied hastily. Checking on what? He berated himself for such a lame response. Pieck's father, though, accepted his answer with an understanding nod.

Porco went back into the kitchen and finished filleting the fish. He found the cast iron pan in its usual spot. It was a bit dusty, but it was very well seasoned and he wasn't sure if he should wash it off too much. In the end, he settled for gently wiping the dust off with a moist, clean dishtowel. The pan remained shiny from constant oiling and careful tending to. His mother always complained about cast iron pots and pans being too hard to wash. She also washed them with soap sometimes since "soap is cleaner than shit." Mr. Finger's pans were old enough to have been cleaned the old fashioned way, but they were still way cleaner-

_"Hate to meet my maker on an empty stomach."_

_"This says herring?"_

He nearly dropped the pan on the floor. He recognized the second voice and had known them (regrettably) for his whole life. The first voice was the same from earlier. He'd never heard it in his life, but he knew who it belonged to. He covered his mouth with his hands to keep from getting sick.

In his panicked state, Porco heard Pieck groaning on the couch. Mr. Finger stood up, but Porco still got to her first.

"Pieck, what is it?" She sat up and was batting something around her head.

"Get off me!" she yelled. Her eyes were open, but she was clearly seeing something that the two men could not. There were no bugs flying around her. If there were bugs, why would she be biting at them like she was right now?

"Pieck, they can't hurt you!" Shouting might not be the right way to calm someone down, but her yells were turning into shrieks and she needed to be calmed down less she hurt herself and turn into a titan. He managed to grab onto her shoulders despite the flailing and gave her a few shakes. Hurting Pieck was never something he liked to do, but, at times, pain was necessary.

"They're just memories. They can't hurt you," Porco kept repeating. After a moment, he didn't have to shout. Her eyes focused on his and he could see that there were tears threatening to spill over her eyelashes. Up close, her eyes were very beautiful. He wished he had eyes like hers if only to stare into them all day in a mirror without creeping her out.

"Thank you, Pocco." She wiped at her eyes and took a few deep breaths to compose herself.

"What time is it?"

"A little after five in the afternoon."

"The same day we last talked?"

"The next day."

Pieck groaned. She had slept for about that long? That was a new record for her.

"Hi, Dad," she greeted, "I'm home."

He smiled that sad smile.

"It's good to see you. Do you need any help?" Mr. Finger asked as his daughter tried to stand up.

"I should take a shower." She planted both hands on the floor.

"Don't be a dummy. You can't even stand."

She glared at him. The last time she bathed was before leaving for Paradis Island from the tiny port town where Porco received his titan powers.

"Maybe a bath would be easier," Pieck agreed, "although I might need help. I know you're making dinner."

"I haven't started frying the fish yet. I can bake it instead. That way, I can keep you from drowning." He hoped that that was okay with her father (and that he wasn't blushing too hard).

"I will start the bath so that Mr. Galliard can get the food in the oven."

"That was easier than I thought," Porco said after her father left went the bathroom to start her bath.

"You've seen me naked before."

"I've seen you naked in your titan form. Titans don't wear clothes," he countered. The Cart Titan did wear armaments for most battles, though, but they were the only one. Aside from the Female Titan's breasts (nipple-less as they were), most titans had no visible gender differences.

And yet I ended up with a uterus and a vagina in my human form, Porco thought crossly as he went to finish preparing the fish. Of course, then he started thinking about his panic attack a few moments ago and threatened to overcome him again.

"You alright?"

Son of a bitch. Pieck was down on all fours by his feet.

"I'm not the one who was biting at imaginary things in their sleep."

"I hope that I never have to see those terrible things ever again," she shuddered, "but you can't distract me that easily. How are you with your...situation?"

"You mean my situation of being pregnant with a duplicate of my predecessor?"

"Yeah, that situation." Her tone was aloof. He could practically hear the accompanying disinterested shrug with her words and it pissed him off.

"Your tactic isn't going to work. You don't need to feel sorry for me." Pieck could hear the knife hitting the cutting board as he angrily diced the rest of the onions.

"Okay."

"I'm not weak. Ahh! Dammit!"

"Cut yourself? Serves you right, mutilating those fish like that." Pieck got up on her knees. Porco had his middle finger in his mouth.There was a little blood smeared on the knife and cutting board. He started crying.

"Are those onion tears?"

"No! Gah, now there's going to be blood and possibly a human finger in the fucking herring!" he sobbed.

"Just the tip. That's all you got," she tried to sooth him, but it was hard from her place on the ground and the level of Porco's upset.

"I can't give you and your father any part of me to eat. That would be just wrong."

Pieck didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Flattering of you to assume that I have never partaken in cannibalism. Is that all of the herring? If there's more, we can-"

"I don't want herring."

Oh. Pieck blinked. Porco sounded surprised. She suspected that the realization was sudden.

"Is it because of the ba-your situation?"

He nodded.

"I...there was a memory. It wasn't mine. I-"

"No need to explain," she interrupted.

He sniffed and rubbed at his nose.

"We can have onions and whatever vegetables you have around here. There won't be any meat," Porco murmured.

"That sounds great."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Porco skips dinner. Pieck forgets her slippers. Reiner's bed gets ransacked for building materials. Chess is played.  
> Everything happens, but not necessarily in that order.
> 
> Note: No actual birth in this chapter. Just labor stuff like contractions and water breaking. I don't want to spoil anything, but I don't plan on describing the birth. I may like mpreg, but I don't want to scare my beta and want to keep it fairly vague.

It took only a week or so for Reiner to be cleared of blame for the failure to capture the Founding Titan. Porco would have been disappointed had he felt better. Being pregnant was taking a toll on his body. His belly wasn't growing as fast or as much. He still looked about eight months pregnant, which pissed him off since he was only four months pregnant. Everything pissed him off at the moment. Reiner not having the Armored Titan taken from him should have made him angrier, especially since he escape blame by taking responsibility. Currently, Porco was complaining to Pieck on a train headed for an undisclosed location. It was diplomatic, but they were bringing three of their Warriors as a show of strength.

"You're probably content to have the Jaw Titan," she said, moving her knight forward.

"Yeah, right. You see what happened to me the last time I gained a titan's power." He gestured to his stomach as he absentmindedly moved his bishop. Pieck could easily check him and win the game.

"You'd be an awful father to Reiner," she agreed.

Porco chuckled.

"He's annoying enough as a a comrade, that's for sure. I'd probably be a bad father to anyone."

"I think it's your turn." She kept her tone light to match her friend's. He studied the board and moved a pawn despite it being her turn.

"Have you ever thought about having kids?"

She looked up cautiously.

"I'm not adopting yours, if that's what you mean."

"Don't worry. They are going to an orphanage as soon as they arrive. I just think you'd be a good mother," Porco said. Their eyes met for a moment. Pieck knew that her cheeks were most likely as flushed as his.

"Hmm." He pressed his hand against his side. Pieck was glad for the distraction, even if it was from Pocco being in pain.

"Kicking?"

Porco frowned. It didn't feel like the kicks and jabs he was used to. It was more of a cramping feeling. It had been happening on and off for hours.

"I think I'm going to turn in. You can let me win at chess another time."

\------ 

After Pieck left, he lay down and tried to sleep. The military issue bunks were not known for their comfortableness, but this was ridiculous. He searched all the cabinets in the room for any additional blankets or towels. Anything soft would do. He didn't feel guilty for taking Reiner's sheet and pillows and putting them on his bunk. He put one behind his constantly aching back, but it didn't feel right and he had to start all over again.

The compartment door slide open.

"Hey, Galliard. You weren't at dinner. What-" Reiner stopped at the site of Porco pulling the pillowcase off of yet another pillow and rearranging it.

"You alright?"

"Fuck!" he yelled, jumping as best as he could.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. Let me get a towel."

"Why?" He felt something wet trickling down his legs and noticed that his boots were wet. Two things occurred to him:

1) Reiner thought that he had peed himself and felt bad for him despite the daily crap Porco heaped on him, and

2) his water had broken and the cramps he'd been feeling were contractions.

"Ge-Get Pieck!"

"Let's get you cleaned up first."

"I didn't piss myself! I'm in labor! And you are not cleaning me up," he growled.

"Oh."

"Can't you be more surprised?" But of course Reiner wasn't surprised. He'd wanted to have kids with Marcel someday, and not adopted ones. Being the exam nerd that he was, he had read every book on intersexed individuals he could find. Every piece of literature about anyone with the Power of the Titans carrying or siring children available at the Marley Warriors Division Archive. Porco knew because he saw Reiner's signature in the books that were checked out from the library. Some of them hadn't been read _since_ Reiner checked them out. That is, until Porco discovered the source of his ailment and had to read them himself.

"I'm sorry. I'll be more surprised next time."

'There won't be a next time,' he was prepared to say, but then he felt pain in his abdomen.

"Are you sure you want Pieck here for this? Should I get the commander?" Reiner asked.

"He doesn't know."

"Galliard! You're just going to have a baby on a crowded train, putting everyone at risk? Are you stupid?"

"I didn't know when it was coming, okay? And how am I putting anyone on this train in danger?"

"Ugh, why didn't you ask to sit this mission out?" he groaned into his hands.

Porco put a hand under his chin, pretending to think.

"You're right. Hmm, we could have sent Annie. Or one of our other countless Warriors, like the Founding Titan you captured! No, maybe Bertoldt!" he shouted, spit flying from his mouth.

The room grew quiet. Aside from the clickity clack of the wheels against the train track and his own ragged breathing, there was no sound. Reiner was silent. His face had relaxed after briefly furrowing his brows at Porco's last sentence.

"I shouldn't have-"

"Labor can be a long, grueling event. Some women say that it is a good kind of hurt because it's productive. They get through the pain with the goal of having a healthy child."

For the first time in his life, Porco was afraid of Reiner. He didn't think that Reiner would strike him. His hands weren't balled into fists and he was extremely calm.

"What do you get when one of us Warriors sustains an injury with a goal in mind?"

Porco's mouth formed a small "o".

"You think that I could transform into a titan from having a baby?" he asked. The idea never occurred to him.

"You may have the right equipment, but there could be tearing. Tearing means blood."

Normally, Porco would be cursing him out for being so patronizing. Talking to him like he was a child. The Warrior who somehow stole the Armored Titan from his grasp and probably got Marcel killed.

None of that mattered at the moment. Porco was two months shy of turning 17. His years might be limited, but he never felt so young and foolish. Reiner patted him on the shoulder.

"I'm going to get Pieck. She can get the commander. Like it or not, he needs to know."

\----- 

Pieck ended up being right outside the boy's compartment when Reiner went to find her. One of the train's crew complained about someone in the sleeping quarters yelling. She was fully prepared to scold them for being idiots. It was bad enough that Magath had to argue with the conductor to let the Warriors sleep in a regular bunk instead of servants' quarters (if average Eldians were allowed to ride trains in this country, they would have put them in a segregated area and it would have made the servants' quarters look fabulous).

"Oh, good! Pieck, I-"

She held out her hand.

"You two have got to get along, or at least get along poorly while keeping your voices down." She looked past Reiner to glare at Porco.

"Why is Pocco in a pillow fort?"

"Nest, not fort. He's in labor." He gently, but firmly pushed her out of the room since she had taken a step forward at his words.

"Get Magath. Tell him to bring morphine. We can't have Galliard accidentally transforming, so hurry!" he ordered.

\----- 

"You'd better have a death wish for knocking on my door right now," Theo Magath grumbled, pulling up his pants before slightly opening the door.

"Pieck?" That was surprising. He opened the door all the way.

"Sir, I need some medical supplies. It's urgent."

"You're appendix giving you trouble?"

"You think I'd come here for something like that? Poc-Porco needs morphine. He's in labor."

"What?" Yes, his subordinate had gotten a bit bigger around his gut, but Magath had seen his files. He knew way too much about his Warriors. Pieck had been through two appendectomies, since hers grew back when she gained the Cart and had to removed after getting infected again (and grew back again, so hopefully it wouldn't go bad a third time). She and Annie did not menstruate, but Marcel had. Bertoldt sweated a lot because of how his body reacted to being a vessel for the Colossal Titan.

Right. Marcel was intersex after getting the Jaw.

"How did he get this pregnant so quickly?" he asked as he buttoned his shirt.

"I can't say."

"Whose the father? Why didn't one of you tell me?"

"We only found out after I came back from the mission to Paradis."

"That can't be right." Galliard had been pretty portly then. That was two weeks ago! Shouldn't he have known by now?

"That's your left boot."

"Then where is my right boot?"

Pieck pointed to behind the bed to where a woman was holding out the boot.

"She has it," Pieck said simply. No questions. No judgement. He would have to give Pieck a bonus of some sort. Maybe new socks, since hers did not match.

Magath hastily took the offered boot with a quick, "thanks, doll," and closed the door.

"Should she be in there by herself?"

"I doubt we'll be gone more than ninety minutes," he replied after checking his watch.

Pieck raised a curious brow, but didn't say anything. Yep, she was definitely getting several new pairs of socks on her birthday.

"Her Adam's apple was quite pronounced."

"Ha. Ha. And flat-chested. Must men are. Get over it." So no new socks for Pieck.

"I don't care who you spend your nights with. At least you're not pining after some teenager," she muttered, trying to keep up with Magath's longer strides.

"Maybe you can help your crush raise his kid."

Pieck glared at him, which made him laugh. She looked like an angry duckling and he told her as much.

"You share a drink with your 'special friend?'"

"Two. Did you get Galliard pregnant?"

"I did no such thing!" she stammered, turning beet red, "he's nice and a great guy. Even if I could-"

He nodded, smirking ever so slightly.

"Good. I don't want my Warriors having custody battles over their kid."

She covered her face and groaned.


	6. Chapter 6

Pieck wasn't sure what to expect when she and the commander made it the boys' room. Obviously, Pocco had not transformed since the train was not in ruins. She knocked on the door. Magath mumbled something like "really" and opened the door.

The pillow fort or nest or whatever the mass of pillows and blankets were soaked in blood. Porco was half-propped up in the center, his face ashen. Reiner held something small in his hands wrapped in a towel. Pieck ignored them for now and sat down beside her friend.

"Pocco?" His breathing was shallow and so faint that she could barely hear or feel it.

"Porco," he rasped. Pieck sighed in relief.

"They gonna be alright?" Magath asked, "does he need morphine or anything?"

"Just time. You can go if you need to."

Their commander nodded and left, shouting a quick order for them to clean up when they were done. Reiner frowned.

"Well, that was quicker than I thought." He dabbed at the baby's face.

"How is she?" Pieck asked.

Reiner shrugged. He wet another towel with water and wiped gently at the baby's face. Pieck saw their hands jerk and their feet kick on impulse. Reiner smiled. He had been afraid that she was a stillborn since she hadn't cried yet.

"You sure you don't want to hold her, Galliard?"

He shook his head.

"She's not mine."

Reiner started to say something, but thought better of it and went into the bathroom to better clean the baby. Pieck resisted the urge to curl up beside Porco, but she knelt down and helped him sit up better.

"How are you?"

He smiled weakly.

"Thirsty. Get me some water?"

She didn't like leaving him drenched in his own blood, but Pieck trusted him to know what he needed. She squeezed in behind Reiner. The bathroom was small, but at least it wasn't shared with another compartment. It's not like anyone would want to share a bathroom with Eldians unless they had to.

"Careful with that water. You don't want to scald her," she warned.

"Right. Hadn't noticed." He turned on the cold faucet.

Pieck sighed. Like the other Warriors, Reiner ran very hot.

"Just dip the towel in and kind of sponge her off. I doubt either of us are great judges of temperature for a normal newborn. Or babies in general."

"Hey, I've got a younger cousin. I saw her as a baby. Wait." His eyes narrowed.

"How did you know she was a girl? Come to think of it, how did Galliard know?"

Shit.

"You must have told him." She hoped her tone was more assertive because it almost sounded like she was asking instead of telling.

Reiner shook his head.

"He must have looked."

"Not likely. I've never heard of a birth parent being so disinterested in their baby."

"Well, it had to be either a boy or a girl. Not everyone can have both sets of genitals, Reiner," she huffed. They glared at each other for a moment. When Pieck did not relent, Reiner went back to cleaning the baby. She was tiny, hardly what anyone expected from the size of Galliard's stomach had been. She was darker than her parent, but Marcel had a darker complexion than his younger brother (Would any kids he would have had with Marcel looked like her? Reiner tried not to think about it).The hair on her head was black. She didn't have that cute little button nose that the Galliard brothers had, but at least it didn't have a hook in it like Annie's nose ( _Nope, don't think about her either_ ).

"You're pretty quiet, aren't you?" he cooed. The baby squirmed and made cute little sounds of protest. Reiner gently wiped her face off, hoping she'd make more noise. Newborns shouldn't be this quiet. Her skin began to pink up behind her freckles and her breathing was better.

Meanwhile, Pieck filled the cup and offered it to Porco. He reached weakly for it. Pieck held the glass to his lips and helped him take a drink.

"Easy. What have I told you about drowning?" she teased. Porco had taken too large a sip and most of it came back out again.

"That you'll never let me drown," Porco replied firmly with a brief nod.

Pieck blinked.

"Uh, I was going to say that I'm under strict order to not let you drown," she stammered.

"That's what I said, didn't I?"

Pieck dabbed at the spilt water on his chin with the sleeve of her nightgown.

"We need to get you cleaned up." He had not been steaming when she came back with Magath, but he was starting to now. That was a good sign, but Porco still lost a lot of blood (most of it would probably evaporate, which made cleaning less daunting). It would take a couple of hours for his body to replenish the lost blood, though.

"Who knew childbirth was so bloody?" he offered.

"Yeah, I can't tell if you delivered naturally or if Reiner cut you open."

"I will never tell anyone."

"Uh huh," she hummed.

"That's not rude, is it? Because I don't want to be rude to you."

Pieck placed a finger to his pale lips.

"Pocco, you should know me by now. I'm agreeing with you." She smiled sweetly. No one would ever see the fangs on her if she always smiled like that.

"Don't say stupid stuff like that. You gonna say something like 'Reiner saw more of you than either of you ever wanted.'"

She shook her head.

"No, of course not! I understand that we all have our secrets."

Porco frowned. The Marleyan military basically knew everything about him. Furthermore, he and other Eldians -Warriors or not- were encouraged to turn any Eldians who were traitors. Secrets were considered dangerous. Eldians were already untrustworthy. As smart as she was, why would Pieck keep any secrets? It didn't make sense and he told her as much:

"What secrets do you have?"

"I didn't tell anyone about your delicate condition. Well, until I had to." She gave him a kiss. It was aimed at his cheek, but he turned and her lips landed on the corner of his mouth instead. There was less contact than their first kiss and shorter as well, but it felt more intimate somehow. Made him hunger. Made him want more.

"Galliard."

Great. Cockblocked by that jackass.

"Can I help you, Braun?" he bit out his rival's name like he should have bitten into the previous Armored Titans' spinal column. Then its Armor would not belong to a dumbass.

"I know this baby. This baby is Ymi-"

"A subject of Ymir, yes," Pieck interrupted quickly.

Reiner shook his head and sat down beside them to show her the baby.

"Pieck, surely you recognize her. We were all on the ship after that awful mission. Met up with Galliard on that damned speck of an island."

"What you're saying is ridiculous. You're going to get that baby killed with those ideas," Porco hissed, "it's bad enough that everyone complains about too many Eldians. If they think they can come back after being eaten and their powers absorbed by a Warrior."

He shook his head and looked sadly at the baby. He stroked her head and she let out a whimper that broke his heart.

"You must have read those stories. If we try to confirm your suspicions-"

"She'd be thrice burned," Reiner finished, nodding firmly.

"Whoa, way to commit to a lie, Reiner. You must be good at keeping secrets."

Oh, Galliard had no idea. Reiner was so great at keeping secrets that he kept them from himself. Still, he didn't take the younger man's words as an insult. For once, Porco smiled at him and almost looked like Marcel. He may have lost his chance at a family, but looking at Porco and Pieck practically snuggling while holding a child? Reiner could lie to himself one more time, if only for a moment. But with six years left to live, all Reiner had left were small moments like this.

He could pretend.


End file.
